What a crazy, horrible story. A young woman was just dismissed of all charges for causing a fatal car crash when she lost her bikini top while driving on a NYC thruway back in 2008. Brittany Lahm, who was 19 at the time, was driving back to Manhattan after a trip to the Jersey Shore when one of the passengers in the car, her friend Brandon Berman, jokingly untied the bikini top she was wearing, prompting her to take her hands off the wheel in order to cover herself.
The teen then lost control of the vehicle and it hit a guardrail and flipped, injuring several passengers in her car and killing Brandon. Her mistake cost someone his life, but the jury's decision wasn't the wrong one.
The court ruled that Brittany "did not anticipate" that her friend would do something that caused her breasts to become exposed and that her decision to cover up was the result of a "sudden and unforeseen emergency not of her own making."
You can argue that Brittany could have simply pulled over to the side of the road to fix her top. But then you are assuming that each and every time we are faced with a sudden surprise while driving we stop and think before reacting. More often than not, we make quick decisions on the road and this case shouldn't be viewed any differently than if Brittany had spotted a wild animal in the middle of the street and swerved in order to avoid hitting it.
Now 24, this young woman has to live out the rest of her days knowing she killed one of her friends and ruined several other lives. From what we know, she wasn't found to have been driving recklessly. Brandon did something playful and foolish that a lot of other teens might do and pulling a stupid prank certainly doesn't make him a monster. But it in no way makes it Brittany's fault. At the end of the day, this was an unfortunate and sad accident and Brittany will suffer enough without having to deal with charges she doesn't deserve.
Do you think the jury made the right decision or should Brittany face charges for causing a fatal car accident?
Image via Maegan Tintari/Flickr